Egyptian dies of wounds as toll from protests rises to 57

Reuters News

2/3/2013 12:16:17 PM - Reuters News

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian man shot during protests in Cairo died of his wounds on Sunday, medics said, increasing to 57 the death toll in the bloodiest week of President Mohamed Mursi's seven months in power.

The man, 26, had been shot on Friday near the presidential palace, where youths and police had clashed during violent protests fuelled by anger at the Mursi administration.

Hundreds more people have been wounded in violence that has flared on and off in Egypt since January 24 - the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power.

A security source said there had been no reports of major clashes on Sunday.

The protests have been fuelled by anger at what activists see as Mursi's attempt to monopolize power, as well as a sense of social and economic malaise that has settled over Egypt two years since the uprising.

A state of emergency remains in force in three cities near the Suez Canal that have also been the scene of protests against Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that propelled him to power in a June election.